title: ["About how much do you think a doctor in general practice earns, and how much should a doctor earn?" Results of a survey in Germany's population].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As a result of divergent information about doctors' income in the media, the general public might consider medical doctors to be either over- or underpaid. In the ALLBUS 2010 survey the general public was asked to estimate the incomes of general practitioners and other professions and to state how much, in their view, they should earn.
  
  
  METHODS
  The respondents were chosen using a 2-stage random sample (1. communities; 2. population register) and interviewed at home. Data were collected via computer administered self-interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1,388 persons took part; 39.9% consider general practitioners to be underpaid, 39.0% consider their earnings fair. On average, general practitioners' income was estimated at € 6,711 gross per month and respondents thought that they should earn € 7,050. Chairmen of large national corporations are considered overpaid by 80.3% and cabinet ministers by 71.9% of the respondents. Shop assistants and unskilled workers are considered underpaid by 79.1% and 73.7% respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The estimates of general practitioners' income vary widely, but only 21.1% of the population considers them overpaid. The means of the estimated income and the "should-earn" income of general practitioners are actually quite close, but most respondents think that unskilled workers and shop assistants should earn more.
authors.affiliation: INSIDE-FLSHASE, Universität Luxemburg, Walferdange, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heinz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011639:Public Opinion; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult